Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Disasters
NPR Staff, NPR

Photos: Thousands in Los Angeles evacuate as wind-fueled Palisades Fire quickly worsens

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A woman stands outside a car with flames in the background and smoke all around.
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Etienne Laurent/AP

For the latest local updates head to LAist.com and sign up for breaking news alerts.

More than 30,000 people in Los Angeles County have been ordered to evacuate as the Palisades Fire, one of several wildfires that broke out on Tuesday morning, blazed through the Pacific Palisades community.

Fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, the fire has spread over more than 2,900 acres and threatened 13,000 structures; California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during an afternoon press conference that he's already seen many of them destroyed. The fire remains uncontained.

Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the blaze on foot in the hillsides of the Santa Monica Mountains, where the fire originally broke out, as well as by plane, dropping water and flame retardant. In the Pacific Palisades community, thousands of people have scrambled to escape the flames. According to LAist, video footage showed drivers on the Pacific Coast Highway fleeing their cars to the ocean, at the behest of officers.

Additionally, a second major wind-driven fire was burning Tuesday night in Los Angeles County as fierce Santa Ana winds roared across the region. The Eaton Fire had destroyed 400 acres in Altadena, north of Pasadena — an area bordering the Angeles National Forest.

Evacuations have been ordered. "High winds were driving rapid fire growth, posing a significant threat to nearby communities and making containment efforts challenging," CalFire said. "Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions. The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion."

Conditions were changing quickly Tuesday night as evacuation areas shift alongside the fire. Officials warned that the Santa Ana winds were only going to get worse on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, reaching 100 mph or more. The National Weather Service warned of a "particularly dangerous situation."

"Very strong gusts and low relative humidity will allow any fires that develop to spread VERY rapidly," the agency added. On Wednesday, that's predicted to affect Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

You can find the latest information about the fire's reach and damage from member station LAist.

A lone sunbather sits on the beach and watches a large plume of smoke from a wildfire rise over the Pacific Palisades.
A lone sunbather in Santa Monica, Calif., watches a large plume of smoke from a wildfire rise over the Pacific Palisades.
Richard Vogel/AP
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
A man pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart as smoke fills the sky in the distance behind them.
Jerome Krausse pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart in Santa Monica, Calif., as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood.
Richard Vogel/AP
Fire burns a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The Palisades Fire burns a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Etienne Laurent/AP/AP
More than 200 acres was burning in Pacific Palisades
More than 200 acres was burning in Pacific Palisades, an upscale spot with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, shuttering a key highway and blanketing the area with thick smoke.
David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
A person flees from an advancing wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
A person flees from an advancing wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Ethan Swope/AP
Firefighters stage in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Firefighters stage in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
Firefighters work as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California.
Firefighters work as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Eugene Garcia/AP
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Ethan Swope/AP
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Ethan Swope/AP
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Etienne Laurent/AP
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades as seen from Santa Monica, Calif.
Agustin Paullier/AFP/Getty Images
A brush fire burns near homes
A fast-moving brushfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked evacuations Tuesday as "life threatening" winds whipped the region.
David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
A passerby walks across the street in Sierra Madre, as fire burns in the background.
A passerby walks across the street in Sierra Madre, as fire burns in the background.
Josie Huang/KPCC
The Palisades Fire is seen in Altadena.
Fire is seen in Altadena.
Josie Huang/KPCC

Copyright 2025, NPR